Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday he would be willing to meet with NDP Leader Jack Layton in an effort to pass legislation on climate change.
Referring to the Tories' clean air act as "dead in the water," Layton asked the prime minister during question period if he's ready to meet with the NDP "in the next 24 hours to construct a plan to deal with climate change that will pass this House."
"I wouldn't do it in a hotel room in Toronto," Harper joked, a reference to the budget deal Layton negotiated with former prime minister Paul Martin last year.
Harper said his government is determined to move ahead with a long-term plan to reduce emissions of smog and greenhouse gasses.
"But if the NDP wanted to sit down and discuss how we can do that better, I'm certainly willing to do that with them."
Layton's challenge to Harper came on the heels of a report that warns unless the issue of climate change is immediately addressed, global economic growth could shrink by 20 per cent and cost the world economy close to $7 trillion US.
All three opposition parties in the House of Commons have said they will vote against the act, meaning it has no chance of becoming law in the current minority Parliament.
The proposed legislation would begin regulating smog levels by 2010 and looks to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050.
But Opposition MPs and environmentalists have slammed the proposed act, saying it does nothing to immediately tackle the problems of pollution and greenhouse gases.
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